Anything But Typical

I just finished Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin--- wow! What a great story! And I have to say-- as much as I didn't like the quasi-second-person-perspective from Larger Than Life Lara, I LOVE it in Anything But Typical.

Jason is autistic-- and ABT is his story, through his thoughts, shared with us, the readers. The thoughts shared through the story are not "typical" of Jason's personal communication style; he seems quite "short" on words (you'll get the pun after reading it!) himself-- but as most people who have worked with kiddos with autism suspect, being short on words is not synonymous with being short on thoughts. Since autism is a communication disorder, it's easy to believe Jason's character as a complex thinker, and it's interesting to see the conflict he has with himself and the world around him as he attempts to communicate-- sometimes effectively, most of the time, not so clearly.

The "quasi-second-person" works well in this book, simply because Jason isn't talking so much to the reader "you," as much as he seems to be working through the events and thoughts about his life. He's a verbal processor, without the friend or way to communicate it all (except through writing-- which is a big part of the story). Interesting.

So-- for all who have worked with kiddos or adults with autism, or are the least bit interested in the subject-- I highly recommend this book. If Temple Grandin were to ever write a novel for children, I imagine it would have the same flair of voice that Baskin has.

She's done her homework, and it shows.